


'Tis the Season

by moonbeambucky



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 11:52:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12840579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonbeambucky/pseuds/moonbeambucky
Summary: All of the Avengers are excited for Christmas except Bucky. You surprise him by decorating, hoping it brings back his Christmas spirit





	'Tis the Season

**Author's Note:**

> This was posted on tumblr for @lovelynemesis Sam’s Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree Writing Challenge! My prompt was #17 “I noticed you hadn’t decorated yet, so I did it for you!”

The compound was silent with everyone settled in their rooms, belts unbuckled and likely in a food coma, their bellies happily sated from the bountiful feast of Tony’s Thanksgiving celebration. As everyone retired for the evening you were bursting with joy as your mind raced thinking about your favorite hobby, decorating.

Just because you were an Avenger didn’t mean your love of all things crafty went away, you raided the aisles of Michael’s with the best of them. With each change of the season you scanned through your Pinterest boards, refreshing yourself of new ideas to implement. Crafting, baking, decorating, you loved it all.

What you loved most was the reaction of your teammates; mouths hanging open with an awestruck gaze as they appreciated the way you transformed the compound overnight. It was a labor of love and now with turkey day officially over it was time to get started again.

With music flowing through your headphones you collected the Thanksgiving decorations that were scattered around the common room, placing them into their efficiently labeled bin and back into the basement for storage. You exchanged one bin withdrawing 3 large ones in its place that were packed heavy with Christmas decorations.

It’s times like this when you wished you had been injected with super soldier serum, instead you have to carry the bins one by one back upstairs. You dropped the first one off in your room, quietly shutting the door to head back, turning on your heel you bumped into a firm body.

“Ooof!” you cried.  
“S-sorry doll, you okay?” Bucky whispered, as his arms held your shoulders to help steady your balance.  
“Yeah I’m alright. I wasn’t expecting anybody to be up.”  
“Well you know I don’t sleep much,” he replied, as his lips thinned into a sad smile.   
“I hate to ask, but would you mind helping me Bucky? I need to bring up a few things from storage,” you said, hoping you weren’t imposing too much, but his help would make it easier on you.

Bucky naturally agreed, following you to the storage area where he carried both bins with ease, insisting it wasn’t any trouble. He placed them on the floor of your room, curiously asking what they contained.

“Christmas decorations!” you nearly shouted.

Bucky’s expression dropped quickly but he tried to hide it, feigning enthusiasm since you were so damn excited but Christmas was nothing something he cared to celebrate anymore. Your smile however was something he never grew tired of seeing and he didn’t want you to lose it on account of him.  

You looked down at the bins with excited anticipation to commence decorating. Bucky joked that your task of heavy labor wore him out and he was heading back to bed. He leaned down to kiss your cheek goodnight as you were turning your head up to thank him once more.

Bucky’s lips pressed against half of your own, causing him to pull away in shock. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment and he quickly retreated from your room; standing outside the closed door with his head in his hands, mentally chastising himself for leaving so awkwardly.

He’s thought about kissing you so many times, how perfect it would be to feel your soft lips against his, sweetly pressed together. Instead, he screwed it up, not even meaning to kiss you in the first place. He doesn’t know how you feel, too afraid to ask for fear of rejection or worse, ruining your friendship and losing you completely. The debonair man he used to be is now a long faded memory. In it’s place is a ghost, full of self doubt.

You were in stunned silence, touching the corner of your mouth gently with your fingertips, wondering if there was anything behind his actions or if it was just poorly timed coordination. It was true you had feelings for Bucky, gushing to Natasha about how handsome you thought he was. Your affection only grew as you got to know him, the sweet and shy man who was learning to cope with having his life back.

You brushed your feelings aside, you were reading into things too much like you always tend to do. You began to unpack your decorations, working tirelessly through the night to have everything up. As the sun was rising your heavy head was setting down on your pillow, falling asleep immediately before you even had the chance to pull the covers over your exhausted body.

Steve was the first one up, he gazed around the common room, marveling at your work while he waited for Sam and Bucky. Pine garland draped over the mantle of the fireplace, with lights strung through it. Personalized stockings hung below.

Steve smiled seeing Bucky’s stocking curiously placed next to your own. He hoped his best friend would finally have the courage to tell you how he felt; your mutual feelings were apparently obvious to everyone else in the compound.

The decorations continued with large wreaths hanging on the walls with plaques and banners offering words of holiday cheer. Figures of reindeer and snowmen were expertly placed around the room, with festive accent pillows added to the couch. Candles were spread around the room; even unlit they gave off the most inviting smells of gingerbread, cranberry and apple spice.

At the center of the large dining table was a two foot juniper draped in thick berry garland, its base wrapped in burlap and tied with a red bow. Beside it was a note meant for Tony,   
  
                                  Don’t forget my tree -Y/N

Steve laughed, recalling how much you hounded Tony over the last few weeks to get a beautiful tree, expecting to see it the day after Thanksgiving.

Sam and Bucky entered, their heads turned up to scan the room as they took everything in.

“Wow, Y/N wasn’t kidding when she said she likes to decorate,” Sam said, admiring your work.  
“She’s incredible,” Bucky whispered under his breath.

Steve turned towards him, “Did you tell her yet?”  
Bucky shook his head. “No. Steve I can’t, I… it’s just that we’re friends. I’m her friend, that’s all…” he conceded, thinking about how he wished that wasn’t the case.  
“Buck, tell her. Take it from a guy that regrets waiting too long,” Steve smiled, offering his advice.

Bucky said he would try to, that wasn’t a lie. He spent most nights trying to come up with a way to tell you how he felt, he just wasn’t able to follow through.

When you woke up later day you were pleased Tony kept his promise. A beautiful 10 foot tree was in the common room waiting for you to get your hands on it. You gathered everyone to help decorate the tree, curbing your need for perfection and allowing people to decorate how they wanted to. Everyone had fun adding their own special touches to the tree, well almost everyone. Bucky sat back on the couch and watched as ornaments were hung, lights and tulle were wrapped around, and he paid special attention when you asked Vision to place a beautiful star at the top of the tree.

The burning fireplace kissed your face with a warm glow, highlighting your content smile as you gazed upon the Christmas tree, the final element that brought all of your hard work together. You turned back to the couch, with a sigh of disappointment you realized Bucky was no longer there.

After a stop in the kitchen you waited outside Bucky’s room. He opened the door, unable to contain his smile when he saw you standing there holding two snowflake mugs filled with hot chocolate and marshmallows.

“Hi, can I come in?” you asked, with a beaming smile. There was no way he could resist even if he wanted to. You sat with Bucky on his bed, handing him the mug. “Be careful,” you cautioned, as the steam continued to rise from the drink.

“Thanks Y/N, this was awfully nice of you,” he replied, blowing on the cup before taking a sip.

“Well I know how much you like chocolate,” you said, still waiting for your cup to cool down. “Hey, how come you aren’t decorating? Everyone else helped out,” you said, your curious mind wondered why he was not involving himself earlier.

Bucky sipped his drink slowly, drawing out time to respond. The truth is he loved Christmas, he loved everything about the season, cuddling up with a sweetheart by the fire, giving meaningful gifts to his loved ones, spending time with his family.

Sure the Avengers are one big family, and Steve is certainly like the brother he never had, but this holiday brings bittersweet memories of the last Christmas he spent with his mother and sister Rebecca. He was on leave from training in the Army, just a few days for the holidays.

Bucky made the most of every moment with them, knowing he would likely be on the front by the following Christmas. He wasn’t good in the kitchen but he helped his mother with cooking, taking on small tasks like basting the turkey or peeling potatoes just to spend time with her. Rebecca saved decorating the tree for them to do together. They turned a small, humble spruce into a beautifully decorated tree adorned with glass ornaments, bubble lights and tons of tinsel.

The first Christmas after getting his memories back was really difficult. Bucky spent most of his time alone in his room, save for Steve who would do his best to cheer up his good friend. Bucky was happy to avoid Christmas for the next few years, until you came along.

He physically shook off his memories, placing his cup back into his lap, “I’m pretty clumsy Y/N. I’d probably end up knocking the damn thing down. Wouldn’t want to mess up your pretty decorations,” he lied, hoping you would believe him.

You sensed something might have been bothering him but you didn’t want to push the subject. You quickly learned that Bucky didn’t respond well to interrogation. He was your friend, if there was something he wanted to talk about you’re sure that he would. Sighing, you think add this to the other list of reasons why your feelings will go unrequited. If Bucky liked you he would have told you, plain and simple.

* * *

The second week of December grew colder than the first. It didn’t help that your most recent mission was somewhere warm; coming back to the brisk air and consistently dropping temperatures was a terrible shock. You walked back to your room, smiling at the decorations everyone had placed on their doors in your absence. Most had simple wreaths up, while Wanda and Sam followed your instructions, making wreaths made of ornaments and pinecones respectively. You couldn’t have been prouder gazing at their perfectly executed crafts.

All of the doors had decorations on them except for Bucky’s. The dull grey paint was a stark contrast to the otherwise decorated hallway, draining away all of the festival energy. You knocked at Bucky’s door, smiling as you saw his face again. He looked tired, with deep bags setting in under his eyes.

“Hi Bucky! I, uh, wanted to let you know I just got back,” you said, catching a glimpse of his messy room as he ran his fingers through his long hair.

“Welcome back doll. Mission went well?” he asked, smiling as he was not-so subtlety scanning your body with his eyes. It’s been too long since he saw you; he was elated to have you back, able to see your beautiful smile on a daily basis again.

You noticed him staring, but your rational side convinced yourself he was checking for any signs of injury. A few months in with the team you made a mistake that cost you a week in the med bay and Bucky had been overprotective ever since. He’s always like that though, you’re not special you remind yourself. He’s just your friend, your teammate, nothing more.  

“Someone hasn’t decorated yet,” you melodiously teased.  
“Yeah… I know, I…” he drawled, rubbing the back of his neck.  
“I can help you, if you want. I showed Sam and Wanda what to do and they made really nice wreaths,” you excitedly said.   
“No that’s alright Y/N. You’ve done so much already, I’ll get to it soon, I’m just tired,” he insisted.

You did your best to suppress a frown, “Oh okay,” you said stepping back to turn towards your room.

“It’s good to have you back,” Bucky shouted as you were halfway down the hall. You turned your head back, to see him leaning out of the door frame and smiling. You returned the gesture.

* * *

Christmas was only a few days away and you finally finished shopping. Staying up all night you made sure each gift was perfectly wrapped, adorned with ribbons and bows, and finally wrote out your cards. That was the hardest part, finding the perfect words to convey your thoughts, making sure each one had special meaning for its recipient.  

Writing Bucky’s card was the most difficult. You carefully thought out each word making sure he knew you cared for him, but not too much. He’s your teammate and you loved him, but not  _love_  love; well… you do, but you can’t let him know that.

Pouring coffee to help wake up you realized the compound was quieter than normal. Natasha told you the boys were out today to finish their shopping. You stared absent mindedly at the Christmas tree, watching the twinkling lights as you took sips of your rich drink until an idea hit you. If Bucky won’t decorate then you will.

The sound of boisterous laughter echoed in the common room signaling the arrival of Sam, Steve and Bucky. You waited with anticipation outside of his door. Bucky greeted you as he approached his room, cocking his head to the side, his eyes squinting with curiosity, wondering why you looked like you were going to burst. It’s true, you were jittery and not from the few cups of coffee, you were bursting with anticipation for the reveal.

“I have a surprise for you,” you teased. “Go in,” you said, biting the inside of your cheeks to try and contain your smile.

Pushing the door open Bucky flipped on the light and his mouth dropped open in shock as he glanced around. First he noticed you cleaned up. Technically you had only made the bed and gathered the clothes that littered his floor into one messy pile out of the way, but to Bucky that meant cleaning.

Your decorations were modest with the rustic charm that Bucky was always drawn to. Beside his door was a galvanized bucket filled with birch logs and lighted branches, with silver ornaments and pinecones filling in the space. Above his bed hung a simple string of Christmas lights, a candle on his nightstand immersed the room in the scent of balsam and cedar, and snowflake ornaments made from twigs hung from the mirror of his dresser.

 **“I noticed you hadn’t decorated yet, so I did it for you!”**  you said, beaming with excitement. “And here,” you turned to grab something from beside his dresser, “I made this for your door!”

You held onto a burlap wreath with a red tartan bow, eagerly handing it to him. Bucky tossed it onto the bed, barely looking at your creation, your eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

“What did you do?” he asked softly. “Y/N what did you do?!” he questioned again, this time with anger in his tone.  
“I-I…” you stammered, not really knowing how to answer.

Bucky’s nostrils were flaring, his breath became ragged. “Why would you come into my room without my permission? I didn’t want this Y/N,” he seethed, your name sounded like poison in his mouth.

“I’m sorry Bucky, I thought…” you began.  
“No Y/N that’s the problem, you didn’t think. You shouldn’t have done this. J-just get out!” he yelled, his arms waving with frustration.

You left his room, holding back tears as you ran back towards yours. Slamming the door shut you heard your own wreath fall to the ground, the sound of delicate ornaments breaking on impact. You didn’t care. Wreaths can be remade, ornaments replace, but your broken heart seemed an impossible feat to mend.

You threw yourself on your bed, clutching a pillow as your body was racked with sobs. You couldn’t understand why he was so upset. You were just surprising him, he’s your friend, or he was. He’ll certainly never be anything more, that much is sure, especially now.

Some time had passed; your body ran out of tears to produce as you laid in bed, keeping your swollen eyes shut. You heard the faintest rapping at your door and then a voice spoke.

“Y/N? … Doll?”  
“Go away,” you said, your soft voice cracking as you spoke.  
“Can I come in? Please?” Bucky asked, his voice sounded full of innocence somehow.

You sat up, feeling momentarily dizzy, wiping your eyes before you trudged to the door. “What do you want Bucky?” you asked with exhausted apathy.

He stood before you hunched over with his head hanging low, looking up at you through downcast eyes. “I want to apologize,” he said, offering you a mug he cautiously cradled in his hand.

You studied his face for sincerity, finding it within his storm colored eyes. Grabbing the mug from him you barely made out that it was hot chocolate considering the amount of marshmallows that were covering the top. You offered a quick thanks placing it on your nightstand before propping a pillow up against your headboard to sit back against.

“Y/N, I- I’m so sorry for snapping. I didn’t mean to, honestly. It’s just that Christmas makes me think about the past and the people I lost. Things just haven’t been the same since I got my memories back,” he explained as he paced nervously around the room.

Listening to Bucky explain himself opened your eyes, remembering his hesitation the night he helped bring up your decorations. You were too blind with excitement to realize how much this was hurting him.

“Bucky stop,” you interrupted. “You don’t have to go on. I’m the one who should be sorry.” You stood up, grabbing his hands and pulling him to sit on the mattress with you.

“If I knew I wouldn’t have pushed so much to get you to decorate. I stepped over the line… kept asking and pushing you and I shouldn’t have done that. I’m so sorry Bucky,” you said, reaching your hand over to his, rubbing comforting strokes with your thumb.

“I could have told you though,” he said.

“You don’t owe me anything Bucky. I was wrong.  _Really_  wrong,” you half laughed. “The truth is when I saw you weren’t decorating I kinda knew you were sad, I just didn’t know why. I decorated because I thought it would make you happy.”

“You went through all that trouble to make me happy?”   
“Well it wasn’t a lot of trouble,” you chuckled, “But yeah I did I… um, I really like you Bucky,” you admitted, nervously waiting for his response.

Bucky’s eyes widened making you instantly regret your admission. You pulled your hand away from his but he quickly caught it, this time returning the gesture.

“I like you too Y/N,” he confessed.   
“Really?!” you exclaimed, ignoring how desperate you may have sounded.   
“Yeah, really doll. Ever since you joined the team,” he said, with a coy smile.

Christmas came early, you thought, as a huge grin spread across your face.

“Hey Y/N, you know in all your decorating you forgot something,” Bucky said.

Impossible. There wasn’t a single thing you missed. You even arranged FRIDAY to play Christmas classics on the hour. “Huh? What could I possibly have forgotten?” you queried.

Bucky smiled, digging his hand into the pocket of his sweatshirt and pulled out a small branch of green leaves, with small white berries, attached together with a red bow.

“’Tis the season,” he jests, shrugging his shoulders and smiling.

Bucky raised the mistletoe above your head but waited for a sign of permission. You gently bit your lip and nodded, your eyes sparkled with delight.

Bucky leaned in closing the gap between you as he brought his lips towards yours. This time, he felt the fullness of your soft lips as they pressed against his own. You hummed with content, throwing your arms around him to deepen the kiss.

Bucky dropped the mistletoe to wrap his arms around you, bringing your bodies closer together. He kissed you with passion, while his mind danced with excitement at the prospect of creating new Christmas memories with you.


End file.
